Method and apparatus for removing contaminants from conduits and fluid columns

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for contaminant separation utilizes an interleaved array of oppositely charged electrode plates for fluid treatment. Spacing between the parallel electrode plates is graduated so that the volume of the cavities between the opposing electrodes provides varying levels of treatment of a broad range of contaminants from a variety of fluid columns. A fluid flow path extending substantially orthogonal to the direction of the electrical field established between opposing electrode plates provides a feed stream with exposure to the varying levels of electrical charges between the electrode plates. The method and apparatus provides an effective means of contaminant separation by a device having a small footprint and requiring low amounts of electrical energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to extraction of scale, corrosion,deposits and contaminants from within conduits and on equipment utilizedin the transmission of fluid columns, and further relates to the removalof contaminants that may accumulate within fluid columns transferred insuch conduits.

[0002] It is common for contaminant deposits to accumulate within theinner walls of conduits and equipment utilized in the transportation andtransmission of fluids from one location to another. In oilfieldpipelines, for example, a mixture of oil, water and minerals may flowout of a well and through equipment used to separate the marketable oilfrom the water and other components of the fluid column. Paraffin,asphaltene and mineral scale deposits typically form in conduits used totransport this fluid mixture and restrict flow within the pipeline.These deposits and the associated congestion they create may furtherlead to the deterioration of pumps, valves, meters and other equipmentutilized to propel and monitor the flow of the fluid through thepipeline system. Such deposits typically result in lost production andsubstantial expenditures for thermal, mechanical or chemical remediationto achieve and maintain full flow through a pipeline.

[0003] Many thermal exchange systems, such as cooling towers or boilers,utilize water as a heat transfer medium. Mineral scale and corrosionbuildup within such systems can result in flow restrictions similar tothose of oilfield pipelines. Deposits within the conduits of suchsystems typically restrict the flow of water through the system andadversely affect the operation of equipment such as pumps and valves.

[0004] Further, deposits within the walls of piping systems and onthermal exchange grids tend to act as a layer of insulation and inhibitthe efficient transfer of heat carried by the water. Thus, contaminantdeposits result in restricted flow, lost efficiency and increased energyconsumption in these types of water treatment systems. Periodicdescaling of heat exchange equipment typically results in processdowntime and substantial labor and remediation expenditures.

[0005] In closed-loop systems where water is continuously circulated tofacilitate heat transfer from one area of a system to another, chemicaltreatment of the water is commonly used to remove contaminant depositsand control algae, bacteria and other biological contaminants. Overtime, the build-up of chemicals, minerals and other contaminants withina water column typically results in the continuously circulated watercolumn being unfit for continued use. Chemical and contaminant ladenwater streams typically require additional treatment to render themsuitable for discharge into a wastewater disposal system or for releaseinto the environment. Chemical treatment is costly and increasinglygives rise to growing environmental concerns with the storage, handlingand dispensing of dangerous chemicals.

[0006] These prior art methods of dealing with contaminants in fluidcolumns are costly, time consuming and in some instances pose harm tothe environment. For these and other reasons the effectiveness of suchmethods ranges from marginal to unsatisfactory. One alternative to priorart methods has been magnetic treatment wherein the magnetic fluxprovided by a magnetic field generator is introduced to a contaminatedfluid column. Magnetic treatment of fluid columns typically results inthe reduction and elimination of scale and other deposits withinconduits and on equipment utilized to propel a fluid through a system.Magnetic treatment may also be used to accelerate the separation of oiland water. Environmental regulations charge entities that generatecontaminated fluid columns as part of a manufacturing process or anincidental spill or leak with the containment, treatment and eliminationof pollutants from a fluid column prior to discharging the treatedeffluent into the environment. Numerous types of treatment systems areutilized in a variety of situations where discharge limits are of primeconcern. Examples of contaminated fluid columns include water run-offfrom facility operations, industrial wastewater, oilfield productionwater and wastes associated with contaminated soil remediation.

[0007] Magnetic treatment may be utilized prior to passing ahydrocarbon-contaminated feedstock through an oil/water separationdevice to enhance the efficiency of the equipment in the removal offree-floating oil. However, while magnet treatment of a feed streamaccelerates oil/water separation, contaminants such as suspended solids,typically remain within the fluid column. Thus, magnet treatment alonefails to address concerns faced by entities charged with the treatmentof a fluid column prior to its discharge into the environment.

[0008] One method of contaminant separation may be accomplished bypassing a contaminated feedstock between electrically energizedelectrodes to bond suspended and dissolved contaminants into largerparticles to facilitate their extraction from the fluid column. Forexample, contaminant separation may be utilized to break oil/wateremulsions, allowing the separated oil to be recovered from the watercolumn. Contaminant separation may also be used to initiate thecoalescing of many suspended and dissolved solids within a contaminatedwater column to accelerate the bonding of solid contaminants and enhancethe water clarification process. While prior art contaminant separationdevices may be of benefit in certain applications, they have a tendencyto clog with solids carried within the feedstock. This typicallyinterrupts the treatment process while the equipment is cleaned,creating delays in processing, substantial maintenance issues and otherconcerns. Further, prior art contaminant separation methods aretypically limited in the range of feed stocks that may effectively beprocessed due to the equal and even spacing of the electricallyenergized electrodes within their reactors.

[0009] While the spacing of the electrodes in some prior art devices maybe modified to achieve the desired results during the setup andinitiation of treatment for a certain feedstock, changes in thecomposition of the feed stream typically result in undesired andsubstandard treatment of the modified feedstock. However, if the spacingof the electrodes within prior art devices is adjusted to treat amodified feed stream, undesired and substandard treatment typicallyresults when the feedstock resumes its original composition.

[0010] There have been many attempts to improve prior art treatmentmethods. In many instances, the desirable treatment resulting fromutilizing smaller laboratory reactors cannot be attained in fieldoperations requiring larger flow rates. Many prior art devices utilizingreactor designs similar to that of the small laboratory reactors on amuch larger scale in an attempt to achieve larger flow rates. However,merely increasing the size of the plates or lengthening an array ofelectrodes within a larger housing capable of larger flow rates fails toprovide for similar treatment results attained with the smallerlaboratory cells unless a proportional increase in the current andvoltage supplied to the larger electrodes is provided. Therefore, anincrease in the surface area of electrodes within a reactor without aproportional increase in amperage and voltage typically results inlarger reactors failing to duplicate the treatment levels achieved bysmaller reactors due to a proportional decrease in the number ofelectrons and metal ions per square inch dispersed into a fluid columnrelative to the increased flow rate of a feedstock through a reactor.However, providing increased amperage and voltage to larger cells ofprior art devices typically results in deficiencies that include largepower supply components requiring larger amounts of energy, electricalarching between electrode plates that leads to the pitting and unevenwear of electrode plates, an accelerated degradation of sacrificialelectrodes and excessive heat generation.

[0011] Attempts by prior art devices to increase flow rates havetypically resulted in a reduction in the types of contaminants that maybe removed from a feedstock and a loss of efficiency when treating abroad range of fluid columns with the even spacing of electrodestypically found in such devices. Further, many prior art devices providefor the laminar flow of a feedstock through their electrodes. Thistypically reduces the exposure of a fluid column to the varyingintensities of the electronic fields that may be found at varyingdistances from the electrode plates.

[0012] An additional deficiency of many prior art devices is theplacement of their electrodes within a reactor housing so thatsubstantial volumes of a feed stream pass between the outer electrodeplates and the inner wall of a reactor, resulting in substantial amountsof the feedstock receiving little or no treatment. Further, prior artdevices require a separate power supply for each array of electrodesformed from a particular electrically conductive material sincediffering levels of electrical voltage are typically required to controlthe reactions of the various metal electrodes with a fluid column.Multiple power supplies occupy additional space and require additionalinput power.

[0013] None of the attempts to improve prior art devices provide thebenefits of the present invention. By departing from the prior art, themethod and apparatus hereby disclosed provide a simple, effective meansof retarding contaminant build up and removing existing deposits fromthe internal walls of conduits and the surfaces of equipment utilized inthe transmission and storage of fluid columns. The method and apparatusdisclosed herein provide for the variable spacing of electrodes, andarrays of electrodes comprised of dissimilar metals having distinct andvariable surface area exposure, within a single readily accessiblereactor housing that may be driven by a single power supply.

[0014] The instant invention may therefore be utilized in the treatmentof a fluid column to facilitate extraction of contaminants from afeedstock for subsequent collection of the pollutants for disposal,reprocessing or recycling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In the instant invention, a method and apparatus are provided foruse in the extraction of deposits such as scale, corrosion, paraffin orasphaltene from within conduits utilized in the transmission of fluidcolumns by passing a feedstock through a magnetic field generator. Bysubjecting the feedstock to an intense magnetic field, dissolvedsubstances tend to remain in suspension instead of being absorbed intoions that would typically result in adhesive deposits within conduitsand on equipment utilized to transport the fluid. The magnetic fielddoes not remove contaminants from the fluid column. Rather, it induces asimilar charge to the elements carried within the fluid column andcauses dissolved and suspended substances such as paraffin, asphaltene,silica or calcium to become non-adhesive, repel each other and remain insuspension instead of forming adhesive deposits.

[0016] This invention generally relates to the treatment of fluidcolumns with an emphasis on the prevention of contaminant deposition,the removal of deposits from the internal walls of conduits and theextraction of contaminants from a fluid column. Therefore, treatment offeedstocks with a magnetic field generator typically enhances theability of a fluid to flow through conduits and equipment utilized inthe storage, transportation and delivery of a fluid.

[0017] One such magnetic device may be comprised of layers of acontinuous coil of wire disposed coaxially and radially spaced apartfrom one another, said coiled wire layers emanating outward from a fluidtransmission conduit and having open-air ducts formed by a pattern ofspacers disposed between layers of the uninterrupted coil of wire. Thiscoaxial array of wire layers provides for cooling of the continuous wirecoil by allowing air passing through the open-air cooling ducts totransfer heat generated by the electrically charged wire to theatmosphere. The open-air cooling of the device serves to reduce heatthat is typically retained within other types of electromagnetic fieldgenerators. Further, air-cooling the device results in less resistancewithin the continuous coil of wire, allowing more current to flowthrough the wire coil. This increases the total amp turns, and thereforethe magnetic flux, provided by the device.

[0018] Should a magnetically treated fluid column require remedialtreatment to allow for its continued reuse or discharge into theenvironment, the feed stream may be further treated to extract a varietyof dissolved and suspended contaminants from the fluid column.Contaminant separation may be accomplished by applying electric currentand voltage to electrodes contacting a fluid column to provide a stableflocculate that may be readily removed from the feed stream.

[0019] Thus, treatment of fluid columns by a magnetic field generatormay be useful in preventing and extracting contaminant deposits fromwithin conduits and equipment utilized in the storage, transportationand delivery of fluid columns and on contaminant separation electrodesof the instant invention. When used in concert, magnetic treatment andthe contaminant separation methods disclosed herein provide a synergy oftreatment that significantly enhances the performance of systemsutilized in the transportation, transmission or circulation of fluidcolumns.

[0020] The input of controlled electrical energy to a contaminatedfeedstock results in physical and chemical reactions that destabilizethe contaminated fluid column and allow contaminants to change form,thereby accelerating their removal from the feed stream. Varioustreatments delivered to a feedstock directed to pass through a properlyconfigured contaminant separation reactor include exposing the fluidcolumn to electromagnetic fields, ionization, electrolysis and theformation of free radicals.

[0021] As a fluid column passes through charged electrodes within areactor housing, contaminants within a feedstock experience theneutralization of ionic and particulate charges. Electromagnetic forcesact at the molecular level to shear the molecules by disrupting theouter orbits of molecules. In addition, electrolysis that tends to occurin aqueous based fluid columns provides hydrogen, oxygen, and hydroxylliquids that attack contaminates within the feedstock. Cathodicreactions generate hydrogen gas and reduce the valence state ofdissolved solids, causing some materials to become less soluble orachieve a neutral valence state. The anode generates oxygen gas, therebyallowing for the oxidation of many contaminants to occur. In instanceswhere an electrode may be comprised of a sacrificial material, the anodealso releases metallic ions into the feed stream that tend to bind withcontaminants and form a flocculate.

[0022] The instant contaminant separation method also disrupts many ofthe forces that tend to keep suspended particles separated and dispersedthroughout a fluid column. Following treatment, suspended particlestypically attach to other particles and coalesce for effectiveseparation. In addition, the flow of electrons through a contaminatedfluid column eliminates many organisms and biological contaminants, suchas bacteria, by altering the function of the cell membranes of theorganisms. Surface membranes of many organisms are typicallysemi-permeable layers regulating water intake through osmotic forceswith the electrical charge of fats and proteins in the surface membraneof the organism controlling this osmotic cellular water balance. Theintense ion exchange and electromagnetic forces provided by the instantmethod of contaminant separation drive the surface membranes ofbiological contaminants to an imbalanced state by overwhelming theelectrical field and charge of the organisms. Imbalanced surfacemembranes typically result in an organism excessively hydrating and thenexploding or instigating the dehydration of the organism, causing it toimplode. The increased flow of electrons frequently serves to end thecross-linking of proteins in membranes, terminating their cellularfunctions. Further, various electrode materials, such as copper, maydonate ions to a feed stream to provide residual sanitizing propertiesto the fluid column. Thus, electromagnetic forces, and ions donated fromsacrificial electrode plates, coupled with the oxidation of contaminantsas they flow through charged electrodes cause the membranes and cellwalls of many biological contaminants to collapse, thereby providing aneffective means of biological contaminant destruction.

[0023] These combined treatment forces allow many contaminants within afluid column to emerge from a contaminant separation reactor as newlyformed compounds that tend to readily settle as a flocculate. Thecombined forces also aid in the degradation and extraction of biologicalcontaminants and organic compounds and typically result in significantreductions of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Total Suspended Solids,Total Dissolved Solids, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biological OxygenDemand, Fats/Oils and Greases, and Nitrogen Compounds when applied tosuitable candidate feedstocks.

[0024] Additional benefits include destruction of many pathogens carriedwithin the feedstock and significant reductions in the odor andturbidity of the effluent. A treated fluid column may be directed toseparation or clarification apparatus to remove the flocculate, then tosubsequent treatment phases, if necessary, to extract any remainingcontaminants.

[0025] Conductivity of a fluid column is an important factor incontaminant separation and is primarily dependent upon the compositionand quantity of contaminants carried within a fluid column. As usedherein, conductivity may be described as the resistance to the flow ofelectrical charges through a fluid column. A feed stream comprised of ahigh percentage of suspended and dissolved elements may typically bemore electrically conductive and therefore provide less resistance tothe flow of electrical charges than a feedstock relatively free ofsuspended or dissolved matter. Seawater, for example, is typically moreconductive than fresh water due to its high levels of dissolvedminerals.

[0026] A constant flow rate of a fluid column through the electrodes anda constant flow of electrons between the electrodes are desired foreffective treatment. In many instances, voltage supplied to theelectrodes may be allowed to fluctuate with the instant conductivity ofa fluid column to provide for a constant level of amperage beingsupplied to the electrodes. Therefore, the spacing of the electrodes,the conductivity of a feedstock and its influence upon the amperagedriving the process along with the flow rate of a system are criticalparameters in providing desired treatment. electrodes of a contaminantseparation sector may be arranged within a reactor housing at an angleto the direction of flow of a feed stream through the reactor to disruptlaminar flow and increase turbulence within a reactor.

[0027] The plurality of contaminant separation sectors may be connectedin series or parallel to a power supply to attain the desired fluidtreatment. The preferred method of arranging the contaminant separationsectors of the second embodiment of the instant invention includesconnecting the first electrode of a first contaminant separation sectorto a first terminal of a power supply. The second electrode of the firstsector is connected to a first electrode of a second contaminantseparation sector then the second electrode of the second sector isconnected to a second terminal of the power supply to form an electricalcircuit in series. When more than two contaminant separation sectors areutilized within a housing, the electrodes of an intermediate sector maybe connected to electrodes of the contaminant separation sectorimmediately preceding or succeeding it to complete the electricalcircuit.

[0028] The spacing between the array of plates of one contaminantseparation sector may differ from the spacing between the array ofplates of other contaminant separation sectors within a single housing.By arranging a plurality of sectors having different and distinctelectrode spacing configurations within a single housing, a broad rangeof treatment is provided. Varied arrays of electrodes within a singlehousing overcome the deficiency of prior art devices that require onereactor to be replaced with a reactor having a different electrodeconfiguration, or opening a reactor and rearranging movable electrodeplates, to find a configuration of electrodes that will effectivelytreat feedstocks of constantly varying composition.

[0029] Utilization of a plurality of contaminant separation sectorsdisposed within a single housing allows sectors comprised of dissimilarmetals to be arranged within the housing and powered by a single powersupply. For example, a feed stream may require treatment with carbonsteel plates to break oil and water emulsions and donate iron ions to afeedstock that combine with suspended and dissolved metals, followed bytreatment with aluminum plates to form a stable flocculate that may bereadily extracted from the feedstock. Contaminant separation sectorscomprised of carbon steel plates and contaminant separation sectorscomprised of aluminum plates may be arranged within a single reactorhousing and utilize a single power supply to achieve the desired carbonsteel to aluminum treatment ratio required for treatment of the fluidcolumn. Various combinations of sectors comprised of a variety ofmaterials may be utilized to achieve the desired treatment offeedstocks.

[0030] Connecting sectors in series results in each contaminantseparation sector receiving an identical amount of electrical current todrive the treatment. By connecting contaminant separation sectors inseries, a relatively low amount of constant current may be applied tothe electrodes in each sector to achieve the desired levels metal ionsand electrons that may be dispersed into a fluid column at a given flowrate to achieve the effective treatment of a feed stream. Lower amperagelevels typically result in less heat generation, reduced arching betweenelectrodes and prolonged treatment life of contaminant separationsectors due to the reduced degradation of sacrificial electrodematerials. In a series arrangement of sectors within a housing, thevoltage required to maintain the constant current level supplied to thesectors is typically the sum of the voltage levels required to maintainthe current level of each sector.

[0031] The voltage supplied to each sector may vary based on parameterssuch as the composition of the materials forming each sector and thetotal surface area of a sector as determined by the size of the platescomprising the electrodes and the spacing between the electrode plates.These parameters have a direct effect on the strength of the magneticfield and the treatment provided by each sector. For example, sectorscomprised of sacrificial metal materials tend to disperse more metalions into a fluid column for electrochemical treatment of the feedstockwhile non-sacrificial electrodes tend to provide for a more substantialgeneration of hydrogen and oxygen as a result of increased electrolysisactivity.

[0032] Utilization of contaminant separation sectors electricallyconnected in series and comprised of dissimilar metals wherein thespacing and composition of the electrodes of one sector may differ fromthe spacing and composition of plates of other sectors within a singlehousing allows for a broader range of fluid treatment. Effectivetreatment of feed streams at higher flow rates may be attained whiletypically maintaining a low current level. The instant inventiontherefore provides an effective means of contaminant separation that maybe attained by a device having a much smaller footprint and requiringless power to operate than prior art devices.

[0033] The power supply for the contaminant separation reactor of theinstant invention may be configured to enhance the efficiency of thetreatment process by providing for the regulation and modification ofthe electrical voltage and current applied to the electrodes. Theelectrical charges applied to the electrodes within a reactor may beadjusted based on parameters such as the composition and conductivity ofa feedstock, the desired level of treatment, the materials comprisingthe electrodes and their arrangement within a reactor housing and systemflow rates.

[0034] For example, the power supply may be designed and configured toutilize the conductivity of a fluid column to automatically regulate thevoltage applied to the electrodes within a reactor to maintain thedesired current levels for effective treatment of the fluid column. Theelectrical current supplied to the electrodes may be adjusted and fluidsamples may be analyzed during the initial start up of a system toascertain the most favorable current level required to provide thedesired treatment of a feedstock. Upon determining the desired currentlevel, the power supply may then utilize the conductivity of the feedstream to automatically regulate the voltage required to maintain thedesired current level. Feed streams having a high level of conductivitytypically provide lower levels of resistance within the fluid columnthan feedstocks with lower levels of conductivity. Thus, the greater theconductivity of a feed stream, and therefore the lower the level ofresistance, the less voltage required to maintain the desired electricalcurrent level supplied to the electrodes to achieve the preferred levelof fluid treatment.

[0035] The simple equation I=V/R may be utilized to demonstrate fluidcolumns having high levels of conductivity typically provide lowerlevels of resistance to the flow of electrical current and require lessvoltage to maintain the desired electrical current supplied to theelectrodes. In the equation, I represents the desired electricalcurrent, V represents the voltage and R represents the resistance withinthe fluid column to the flow of electrical current. In any fractionalequation, in order for the quotient to remain constant when thedenominator decreases, the numerator must also decrease. Therefore, inorder for current I to remain constant while resistance R decreases dueto the increased conductivity of the feedstock, voltage V must alsodecrease.

[0036] The power supply may have the capability of automaticallyadjusting its output of voltage to the electrodes within a reactor tomaintain the desired current level required to effectively treat afeedstock as the conductivity of a feed stream fluctuates. Thus, changesin the make up of the feed stream, and therefore its conductivity, aretypically of little consequence in the ability of the instant inventionto effectively treat feedstocks of varying composition.

[0037] A power supply may also be configured to automatically alternatethe positive and negative charges applied to the opposing electrodes toimpede the formation of deposits on the electrodes. To achieve thedesired level of treatment for certain feed steams, a reactor may employthe sacrificial degradation of certain electrode plates. For example,sacrificial aluminum plates may be utilized to clarify aqueous feedstreams and enhance contaminant separation. The periodic reversing ofthe polarity supplied to the opposing electrodes plates tends to providefor a more uniform degradation of such sacrificial electrodes over time.However, when automatically alternating the polarity of the chargessupplied to the electrodes, a brief period of time is required where nopower is supplied to the electrodes prior to reversing the polarity toallow the previous electrical charge to dissipate from an electrode.

[0038] Utilizing a magnetic field generator to pretreat a fluid columnand place elements within a feed stream in suspension typicallyincreases the effectiveness of the contaminant separation electrodes ofthe instant invention. Magnetic fluid treatment typically retards theaccumulation of contaminants as deposits on electrode plates by inducingsimilar charges to the elements carried within a feedstock. Bysubjecting a feed stream to an intense magnetic field, dissolvedsubstances within the fluid column tend to remain in suspension due totheir decreased incidence of surface contact and bonding as a result ofsimilarly charged ions repelling each other as they pass through thereactor instead of forming adhesive deposits that could otherwise coatelectrodes and impede their efficiency. Thus, magnetic treatment of afeedstock typically prevents clogging and restricted flow within acontaminant separation reactor by placing elements within a feed streamin suspension and impeding the formation of deposits on electrodes thatcould diminish the effective generation of electrical charges betweenthe electrically charged plates.

[0039] The benefits of utilizing ozone and other forms of oxidation toeliminate biological contaminants have long been practiced, but theeffects of magnetic treatment it treating feed streams to eradicate suchcontaminants is relatively new. Exposing feedstocks containingbiological contaminants to concentrated magnetic fields has been shownto collapse the cell walls and destroy the membranes of suchcontaminants. Thus, electrolysis and magnetic field generation providedby the instant invention may be of particular utility in the destructionand elimination of a great many microorganisms because unlikeantibiotics or chemical treatment, bacteria and other biologicalcontaminants cannot develop immunity to such treatments.

[0040] The instant invention may be configured to operate at lowpressures and high flow rates. Ongoing maintenance consists of regularlyscheduled inspections and cleaning. Periodic adjustment of the powersupply may be required to compensate for the degradation of electrodescomprised of sacrificial materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiments ofthe invention in which:

[0042]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of combined magnetic and contaminantseparation methods for treatment of fluid columns;

[0043]FIG. 2 illustrates an open top view of opposing electrodes withinthe housing of the first embodiment of the contaminant separationreactor of the instant invention;

[0044]FIG. 3 is a detailed view of an electrode utilized in the firstembodiment of the contaminant separation reactor of the instantinvention;

[0045]FIG. 4 shows the fluid flow path through the plates forming theelectrodes of the first embodiment of the contaminant separation reactorof the instant invention.

[0046]FIG. 5 is a detailed view of an contaminant separation sectorutilized in the second embodiment of the contaminant separation reactorof the instant invention; and

[0047]FIG. 6 is a cut-away view of a reactor housing showing anarrangement of the contaminant separation sectors of the secondembodiment of the instant invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0048] The instant invention utilizes revised principles of magnetictreatment with electrochemistry and physics to result in a synergy oftechnologies and principles integrated into a method and apparatuscapable of treating a wide variety of contaminated feedstocks to producean effluent that may typically be reused or discharged into theenvironment. As a contaminated feed stream moves through the system,treatment of the feedstock may be accomplished by utilizing magneticfields, ionization, electrolysis and free radical formation.

[0049] The basic system may consist of a magnetic field generator and areactor containing electrically conductive electrodes. After magnetictreatment has been used to loosen and eliminate scale and other depositsfrom a piping system or other source, a feedstock may be directed toflow through charged electrodes where a number of treatment processesoccur. The instant invention typically utilizes electrical forces toneutralize ionic and particulate charges and remove contaminants such ascolloidal particulates, oils and dissolved metals from previously stablesuspensions and emulsions.

[0050] For example, electromagnetic forces are utilized to overcome theforces creating an emulsion and allow oil droplets to separate from afluid column. A principal cathodic reaction of an electrode reduceshydrogen ions to hydrogen gas and reduces the valence states ofdissolved metals. An electrode functioning as an anode may releasemetallic ions into a feed stream and liberate oxygen gas from theaqueous portion of a feedstock. As a result, newly formed compoundsprecipitate into a readily settable and easily dewatered sludge. Theresulting flocculate is similar to a chemically formed flocculate,however, the instant flocculate tends to be larger and provide forfaster separation than chemically formed flocculates. Subsequenttreatment may be used to facilitate the removal of the flocculate andother dissolved and suspended contaminants to provide an effluenttypically suitable for reuse or discharge.

[0051] Magnetic treatment provides for a significant reduction in thesurface tension of water and aids in the maintenance and operation ofheat exchange equipment. Scale deposits within the walls of pipingsystems and on components of heat transfer equipment restrict flow andincrease energy consumption in heat exchange systems. In cooling towers,boilers and other heat exchange equipment, magnetic treatment may beutilized to remove scale that tends to inhibit the transfer of heatcarried by water flowing through such systems.

[0052] In applications that require a water column to constantlycirculate through a piping system, magnetic water treatment may be usedto prevent the formation of scale deposits within the system. Residualeffects of magnetic treatment typically result in the softening ofexisting scale and other deposits within a piping system and allow thescale to disperse into the water column. Magnet treatment may further beutilized to effectively destroy bacteria and other biologicalcontaminants in fluid columns by causing the cell walls and membranes ofsuch organisms to collapse when a feedstock is exposed to concentratedmagnetic charges.

[0053] While a fundamental use of magnetic treatment may be to loosenand eliminate scale and deposits from piping systems, magnetic forcesalso overcome forces that cause emulsions and can be utilized toaccelerate the separation of oil and water. Oil has a lower specificgravity than water and will typically float on a volume of water.However, mechanical agitation can shear the interface of distinct layersof oil and water so that small oil droplets may become dispersed in thewater. In a static state, these small oil droplets tend to coalesce,form larger droplets and will eventually float out of suspension.

[0054] The addition of surfactants will allow a thin molecular coat ofthe surfactant to be adsorbed onto the surfaces of the oil droplets,thereby polarizing the oil droplets, causing them to repel each otherand remain in a dispersed state. These small oil droplets result in asubstantial increase in the surface area of the oil suspended within awater column and the tendency of the oil to form a stable dispersion oremulsion. Under the influence of a magnetic field, adsorbed ionssupplied by a surfactant that give an oil droplet its surface chargebegin to move across the surface of the droplet and result in theformation of a dipolar charge of the oil droplets. The dipolar dropletsthen begin to agglomerate under the force of mutual electrostaticattraction as they collide and coalesce until their buoyancy overcomestheir repulsive forces. The magnetically treated feedstock may then beprocessed by conventional oil-water separation to remove the oil.

[0055] While magnet treatment serves to reduce and eliminate scale andother deposits as well as accelerate the separation of oil and water,contaminants such as bacteria, algae, oils, clays, silica, and heavymetals may be held in suspension within a water column followingmagnetic treatment. The instant method of contaminant separation may beused to neutralize the charges suspending the contaminants within afluid column and allow them to precipitate and separate from afeedstock.

[0056] Contaminant separation has been employed for years in watertreatment where electric voltage is used to produce a strongelectromagnetic field to disrupt the attraction of suspended particlesand allow contaminants to precipitate. Early contaminant separationmethods provided excellent contaminant removal compared to chemicalprecipitation, but high capital and operating costs and low flow ratestended to restrict the use of these prior art devices. Today, chemicaltreatment is less acceptable due to more stringent dischargeregulations. Further, the resulting solid residues are typicallyclassified as hazardous materials that require additional treatment. Thedevelopment of a magnetic field generator and a contaminant separationreactor have resulted in the invention advanced hereto for a method andapparatus capable of providing effective treatment of fluid columns.

[0057] Fluid columns that have previously been exposed to magnetictreatment tend to be more readily treated by the instant method ofcontaminant separation. The residual effect of inducing similar chargesto dissolved and suspended substances within a fluid column allowscontaminants within a feed stream to remain in suspension rather thanform adhesive deposits. By causing contaminants within a fluid column tobecome non-adhesive, feed streams typically flow more freely and areless likely to clog the flow path of a contaminant separation reactor orcoat the electrodes of a reactor with accumulated contaminant deposits.The reactor of the instant invention utilizes a single power supply andhas a smaller footprint, lower operating costs and a capacity forgreater flow rates than prior art devices.

[0058]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the fluid treatment method disclosedherein where a magnetic field generator 1 is shown as part of aclosed-loop treatment system to reduce and prevent the formation ofscale and other deposits within the interior walls of the piping systemand other components of heat transfer device 60.

[0059] Magnetic field generator 1 may be comprised of a length ofconduit having a fluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surfaceand an outer surface and having a fluid entry port and a fluid dischargeport. A segment of said conduit may be encircled by an electricalconductor, said electrical conductor being coiled around a segment ofthe conduit to form a first layer of coiled electrical conductingmaterial and a second layer of coiled electrical conducting materialcoaxially disposed and spaced apart from one another by a pattern ofspacers.

[0060] The pattern of spacers forms a plurality of open-air coolingducts between the coaxially disposed and spaced apart layers ofelectrical conductor and promotes the cooling of the coiled electricalconductor by allowing air to flow between the layers of coiledelectrical conductor. A fluid column circulated through device 60 may bedirected to electromagnetic field generator 1 to receive magnetictreatment and place scale and other contaminants within a feed stream insuspension. The fluid column may then be returned to device 60 forfurther utilization in the transfer of heat.

[0061] As the amount of contaminants within the fluid column reaches alevel that affects the heat transfer ability of the fluid column, thefluid column may then be directed to flow through contaminant separationreactor 100 where contaminants in the feedstock may bond into a stableflocculate to facilitate their separation from the fluid column. A fluidcolumn treated within reactor unit 100 may then be discharged forseparation of the resulting flocculate by means of filtration, settlingwithin a static tank or other suitable separation techniques provided byapparatus 200. A treated fluid column may then be directed to subsequenttreatment devices, if necessary, to extract any remaining contaminantsand then returned to device 60 for additional service or discharged intothe environment.

[0062] Power supply 150 may be utilized to energize the electrodeswithin reactor 100 of the contaminant separation unit. The power supplymay be configured to allow the level of electrical current supplied tothe electrodes to be adjusted and set to achieve the desired treatmentof a feed stream. The power supply may further have the capability ofutilizing the conductivity of a feed stream to regulate the supply ofvoltage required to maintain the desired current level to theelectrodes. Providing an automatically variable, or floating, supply ofvoltage to the electrodes within the reactor allows the desiredtreatment of a feed stream to consistently be achieved, even as theconductivity of the feedstock passing through the reactor may changefrom time to time. Utilizing the conductivity of a feed stream toregulate a floating voltage supply and maintain the desired level ofelectrical current supplied to electrodes is typically referred to as acurrent driven application of contaminant separation. In some instancesit may be desirable to set the voltage level and allow for a variablesupply of electrical current in a voltage driven application.

[0063] Contaminant separation power supply 150 typically convertsalternating current from an appropriate power source, rectifies it, andprovides direct current and voltage to the power supply terminals of theopposing electrodes of reactor 100 via first and second electricalterminal connections. The electrical charges applied to the electrodeswithin a reactor may be adjusted based on parameters such as thecomposition and conductivity of a feedstock, the desired level oftreatment, the materials comprising the electrodes and their arrangementwithin a reactor housing and system flow rates with polarity of thevoltage and current automatically reverse from time to time to removescale and other deposits to provide for a relatively uniform rate ofdegradation of electrodes comprised of sacrificial materials.

[0064]FIG. 2 depicts an open top view of the contaminant separationreactor of the first embodiment of the instant invention. Opposingelectrodes 110 and 120 are shown within reactor housing 100 defining aninterior chamber established by a fluid impervious boundary wall with aninner surface and having inlet and outlet ports. Each electrode iscomprised of a plurality of parallel, spaced apart plates of anelectrically conductive material coupled to a common buss bar whereinthe cavities between the plates are non-uniform and the plates are fixedin a perpendicular orientation to the buss bar. The electrode plates arearranged in a parallel pattern that provides for progressively greaterdistances between the facing surfaces of each adjacent plate. The platesof the opposing electrodes interleave in a parallel orientation todefine a flow path from the inlet port to the outlet port and form aseries of cavities of non-uniform volume. As such, the flow path of afluid is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the electricalfield established between opposing electrode plates.

[0065] Power supply terminals 129 are fixed to the buss bar of electrode120 and are shown extending through the side of reactor housing 100. Inaddition to providing a means of connecting electrode 120 to thecontaminant separation power supply, terminals 129 may also be used tosecure electrode 120 within reactor housing 100.

[0066] Within reactor 100, positive voltage and current from the powersupply may be applied directly to power supply terminal 129 and flowthrough the buss bar to the parallel array of plates forming electrode120. Negative voltage and current from the power supply may be connecteddirectly to the power supply terminal of electrode 110 and flow throughits buss bar to its parallel array of plates. Each plate is energizedwith an electrical charge opposite from its adjacent plate, creating adifferential voltage between adjacent plates. As a fluid column followsthe flow path created by the cavities between the electrode plates, theconductivity of a feedstock facilitates the influence of the voltage andcurrent on the feed stream.

[0067] Within reactor 100, each electrode plate maintains a relativelyequal, but opposite, electrical charge to that of an adjacent plate ofthe opposing electrode.

[0068] Electrodes 110 and 120 are arranged within reactor 100 so thebottom edge of the buss bars and the parallel, plates fixed to the bussbar in a graduated spacing configuration to form each electrode are influid communication with the inside bottom surface of reactor housing100. The buss bars of electrodes 110 and 120 are positioned to be influid communication with the inner side walls of reactor housing 100 andheld in place and secured within the reactor by the power supplyterminals that extend through the side walls of the reactor housing.Electrodes 110 and 120 may be sized so that the top edges of their bussbars and their parallel plates in a graduated spacing configuration arein fluid communication with the inside of removable reactor top 100 awhen it is fastened to reactor housing 100.

[0069] Regular maintenance and cleaning of reactor unit 100 is greatlysimplified by the above-mentioned construction. The operator need onlyunfasten reactor top 110 a from reactor housing 100 to access electrodes110 and 120 for cleaning. Debris rinsed from the electrodes and flowpath of the reactor may be directed to clean out drain 110 b fordischarge from the apparatus.

[0070]FIG. 3 is a top view of an electrode utilized in the contaminantseparation reactor of the instant invention. Plates 121, 122, 123, 124,125 and 126 typically are of a uniform thickness, length and height andare connected as a fixed parallel array to buss bar 128. Power supplyterminal 129 is fixed to buss bar 128 and facilitates the flow ofelectricity from the power supply to the parallel array of plates 121,122, 123, 124, 125 and 126. Metal plates are typically used to form theelectrodes with the most commonly used materials being carbon steel,aluminum, copper, titanium and stainless steel. The composition of afeedstock and the desired quality of treatment typically determine thetype of material utilized to form the electrode plates. For example,fluid columns may be treated with electrodes formed of relativelynon-sacrificial materials, such as stainless steel or titanium, thattypically do not donate ions to the feedstock under the influence ofelectrolysis. Electron flow between the charged plates, coupled withelectromagnetic field generation and the creation of oxygen, hydrogenand OH radicals, provide an effective means of destroying microorganismsand biological contaminants while also breaking the bonds creatingemulsions.

[0071] In other applications, sacrificial plates may be used to disperseions into a fluid column to facilitate the precipitation of suspendedand dissolved contaminants. When voltage is applied across plates usedto form sacrificial electrodes, the electrode functioning as the anodemay donate metal ions to the feed stream as part of the contaminantseparation process.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 4, the electrode plates within reactor unit 100are arranged in a parallel orientation. However, the spacing between theparallel plates of the two electrodes is non-uniform and graduated sothat the volume of the cavities between the opposing electrodesprogressively increases as a fluid column flows through the reactor.Graduated spacing allows for treatment of a broad range of contaminantsfrom a variety of fluid columns and eliminates the need of prior artdevices to try reactors having different plate configurations or openinga reactor and rearranging movable plates in an effort to find anelectrode configuration that will provide effective treatment forfeedstocks that vary in composition from time to time.

[0073] The space between the buss bar of one electrode and the end of anopposing electrode plate may typically be greater than the space betweenthe adjacent plates of the opposing electrodes. Such spacing allows afluid to flow around the end of one plate, into the adjoining fluid flowchamber and around the end of the adjacent plate of the opposingelectrode, thus defining the flow path. The plates of the opposingelectrodes interleave in a parallel orientation to define a flow pathfrom the inlet port to the outlet port and form a series of cavities ofnon-uniform volume. As such, the flow path of a fluid is substantiallyorthogonal to the direction of the electrical field established betweenopposing electrode plates.

[0074] A feedstock entering reactor housing 100 through inlet 108 mayflow into the cavity between the inside wall of the reactor housing 100and electrode plate 111. The feed stream may then pass through the openarea between the end of plate 111 and buss bar 128 of the opposingelectrode and into the cavity between plate 111 of the first electrodeand plate 121 of the opposing electrode. The fluid column may then flowthrough the gap between the end of plate 121 and buss bar 118 and intothe cavity between oppositely charged electrodes plates 121 and 112, andso on.

[0075] The feedstock may continue to flow through successive adjacentcavities of non-uniform volume by following a flow path around the endof a parallel plate of one electrode and then around the end of aparallel plate of the other electrode in a back-and-forth directionacross the interior of the housing to outlet 109 for discharge fromreactor housing 100.

[0076]FIG. 5 is a top view of a contaminant separation sector utilizedin the second embodiment of the contaminant separation reactor of theinstant invention. As used herein, a contaminant separation sector shallmean a distinct fluid treatment unit comprising a pair of electrodes,each electrode comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart platesof an electrically conductive material coupled to a common buss barwherein the spacing between the plates of each contaminant separationsector is uniform. Plates 221, 223, 225 and 227 are typically comprisedof an electrically conductive material having a uniform thickness,length and height and fixed as a parallel array to buss bar 229. Plates222, 224, 226 and 228 are typically comprised of an identicalelectrically conductive material having a uniform thickness, length andheight and fixed as a parallel array to buss bar 230.

[0077] Buss bar 229 facilitates the flow of electricity to the parallelarray of plates 221, 223, 225 and 227 while buss bar 230 facilitates theflow of electricity to the parallel array of plates 222, 224, 226 and228. A buss bar may be connected directly to an electrical power supply,or connected in series or parallel to the buss bar of an adjacent sectorwithin a single reactor housing to form an electrical circuit. Further,multiple reactor housings may be connected in series or parallel anddriven by a single power supply to provide for increased system flowrates.

[0078] Metal plates are typically used to form the electrode plates andbuss bars of the contaminant separation sector with the most commonlyused materials being carbon steel, copper, stainless steel, titanium andaluminum. Electrodes formed from metals having a characteristic ofacting as sacrificial plates may be used to disperse ions into the fluidcolumn to facilitate the precipitation of the suspended and dissolvedcontaminants. It is desirable to periodically reverse the polarity ofthe electrical energy applied to sacrificial electrodes to allow them todegrade relatively equally and to reduce scaling and plating bycontaminants in the feedstock.

[0079] Electrodes comprised of different metals, varied spacingconfigurations or having varied surface areas may be arranged within areactor housing and driven by a single power supply. For example, afeedstock may initially be exposed to a sector comprised of sacrificialcarbon steel electrodes that donate iron ions to the feed stream thatmay combine with suspended and dissolved metals, and other contaminants,in the fluid column. A sector comprised of sacrificial aluminumelectrodes may then be utilized to clarify the fluid column bydistributing aluminum ions into the feedstock previously exposed to thecarbon steel sector to coalesce with the carbon steel ions that havecombined with metals and other contaminants suspended within the feedstream to form a stable flocculate that is easily separated from thefluid column.

[0080]FIG. 6 depicts a cut-away view of the second embodiment of theinstant invention and shows a plurality of contaminant separationsectors 201, 202 and 203 layered in a substantially coplanar array. Asused herein, a contaminant separation sector shall mean a distinct fluidtreatment unit comprising a pair of electrodes, each electrodecomprising a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart plates of anelectrically conductive material coupled to a common buss bar whereinthe spacing between the plates of each contaminant separation sector isuniform. Each electrode of a contaminant separation sector is comprisedof a plurality of parallel, spaced apart plates coupled to a common bussbar wherein the spacing between the plates is uniform. The individualcontaminant separation sectors are configured to replicate the surfacearea and quality of treatment attained by small laboratory reactor cellsand are connected in series by electrical jumpers 204 within reactorhousing 200, said housing defining an interior chamber established by afluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surface and having inletand outlet ports.

[0081] Each sector of the second embodiment of the instant invention istypically arranged within the interior chamber of a housing as opposingelectrodes with the plates of the electrodes being orientedsubstantially parallel to the fluid flow path through the housing. Theplates of the opposing electrodes of each sector interleave in aparallel orientation to define a flow path from the inlet port to theoutlet port and form a series of cavities of uniform volume provided bythe even spacing between the facing surfaces of adjacent plates.However, the volume of the cavities between the facing surfaces of theelectrode plates of one sector may differ from the volume of thecavities between the facing surfaces of the electrode plates of othersectors in the layered and substantially coplanar array of a pluralityof contaminant separation sectors disposed within a housing. Each platein a sector is energized with an electrical charge opposite from itsadjacent plate, resulting in a differential voltage being createdbetween adjacent plates. Arranging the electrode plates of thecontaminant separation sectors in such an orientation to the fluid flowpath allows the substantial amount of electron flux concentrated alongthe edges of the electrode plates to provide for an increased intensityof electron flow through a fluid column. As such, a fluid enteringreactor housing 200 through inlet port 207 and discharged through outletport 206 flows through the housing substantially parallel to the facingsurfaces of the opposing electrodes so that the fluid flow path extendssubstantially orthogonal to the direction of the electrical fieldestablished between opposing electrode plates.

[0082] A contaminant separation power supply typically convertsalternating current from an appropriate power source, rectifies it, andprovides direct current and voltage via first and second electricalterminal connections to the power supply terminals 231 and 232 of theopposing electrodes of reactor 200. The voltage and current supplied tothe reactor by the power supply may be automatically reversed atpredetermined intervals to clear the plates of scale and other depositsand provide for a relatively uniform rate of degradation of sacrificialelectrodes.

[0083] Power supply terminal 231 extending through the side of reactorhousing 200 is connected to the first electrode of contaminantseparation sector 201 via jumper 204. The second electrode ofcontaminant separation sector 201 is connected to the first electrode ofcontaminant separation sector 202 via jumper 204. The second electrodeof contaminant separation sector 202 is connected to a first electrodeof contaminant separation sector 203 via jumper 204. The secondelectrode of contaminant separation sector 203 is connected to powersupply terminal 232 extending through the side of reactor housing 200via jumper 204.

[0084] Power supply terminal 231 may be connected to the positiveterminal of a power supply and power supply terminal 232 may beconnected to the negative terminal of a power supply to allow electricalenergy to flow through contaminant separation sectors 201, 202 and 203connected in series. The conductivity of a feedstock influences thevoltage required to maintain the desired level of current for effectivetreatment as a feed stream passes between adjacent plates havingopposite electrical charges in the substantially coplanar array ofcontaminant separation sectors. Within reactor housing 200, each arrayof plates forming one electrode of a contaminant separation sectormaintains the same levels of current and voltage relative to the arrayof plates forming the opposite electrode of the sector. When connectedin series, the current supplied to one sector is identical to thecurrent level supplied to all other sectors, regardless of the spacingbetween electrode plates, the composition of the plates forming theelectrodes of the sectors or other factors.

[0085] However, the voltage required to maintain the desired amount ofcurrent supplied to an arrangement of sectors connected in series in acurrent driven application of contaminant separation may vary fromsector to sector. For example, one sector having an electrode platespacing configuration where the volume of the cavities between itsplates is different from the spacing configuration of another sectorwill require a different amount of voltage to be provided to each of thesectors to maintain a constant current level. Other examples where adifferent amount of voltage may be required from sector to sector mayoccur when the material comprising the electrodes of one sector isdissimilar from that of another sector or the surface area of theelectrode plates of one sector differ from that of another sector.

[0086] To determine the total voltage required to drive multiple (2)sectors connected in series within a reactor housing, these tests andcalculations should be performed.

[0087] 1) connect two contaminant separation sectors in series to apower supply;

[0088] 2) measure the voltage (Separation Voltage) required to achieveand maintain a predetermined amount of current (20 amps, for example) atdifferent spacing intervals between the contaminant separation sectors;

[0089] 3) the Total Voltage Source (Vs) required to drive X contaminantseparation sectors connected in series with the spacing intervalestablished in step 2 above will be:

Vs=(X Contaminant Separation Sectors/2)*(Separation Voltage)

[0090] Separation voltage is the ratio of two cubic functions, the ratiobetween the surface area of the electrode plates/the distance betweenthe electrode plates; and the total surface area of the edges of theelectrode plates/the distance between the contaminant separationsectors.

[0091] For example, contaminant separation sector 201 may be comprisedof eighteen plates of aluminum material measuring 8 inches in length,four inches in height and one-fourth of an inch in thickness, evenlyspaced one-fourth inch apart from one another. Sector 202 may becomprised of eighteen plates of carbon steel material measuring 8 inchesin length, two inches in height and one-fourth of an inch in thickness,evenly spaced one-fourth inch apart from one another. Sector 203 may becomprised of a total often plates of 316 stainless steel materialmeasuring 8 inches in length, one inch in height and one-fourth of aninch in thickness, evenly spaced one-half inch apart from one another.

[0092] Even though sectors 201 and 202 utilize an identical number ofplates having the same length, thickness and spacing, the plates ofsector 202 are only half the height of the plates of sector 201.Therefore, the surface area of the plates of sector 202 is one half thesurface area of the plates of sector 201, while sector 203 has less thanseven times the surface area of sector 201 and less than three and onehalf times the surface area of sector 202. Further, the materialscomprising the plates of each sector differs from the materials utilizedin the other sectors. Therefore, each sector will require a differentamount of voltage relative to the other sectors to maintain a constantcurrent in array of contaminant separation sectors connected in series.

[0093] As the conductivity of a feedstock fluctuates, the voltagerequirements for this current driven application of contaminantseparation will also vary. As a feed stream becomes more conductive,less voltage will be required to maintain the desired level of currentflowing through the sectors of the reactor. However, as a fluid columnflowing through a reactor becomes less conductive, more voltage may berequired to maintain the constant current flowing through the reactor.

[0094] Relatively low current levels may be required to drive theelectrodes by connecting the contaminant separation sectors in series.The voltage supplied to each sector may vary based on factors such asspacing between electrode plates, total surface area of the electrodes,composition of the materials forming a sector and the conductivity ofthe feedstock. Lower amperage levels typically result in a more gradualdegradation of sacrificial electrode materials and prolonged treatmentlife of the contaminant separation sectors due to less heat generationand minimal arching between electrodes.

[0095] The substantially coplanar array of contaminant separationsectors 201, 202 and 203 may be arranged within housing 200 tofacilitate their extraction for cleaning, inspection and routinemaintenance. Simple sealing apparatus utilizing rapid release mechanismsprovide a watertight seal for housing 200 to prevent leakage sincerelatively low pressure is required for a fluid column to flow throughthe housing. Regular maintenance and cleaning of reactor 200 is greatlysimplified by this construction. The operator need only remove the topof reactor 200 to access contaminant separation sectors 201, 202 and203. Drain valve 208 may be utilized to allow water and debris generatedduring the periodic cleaning of the housing to flow out of the enclosureand into a collection vessel.

[0096] Static mixing apparatus 205 may be disposed within reactorhousing 200 to redirect the flow of a feedstock and create turbulencewithin the feed stream to reduce laminar flow as a fluid column passesthrough the array of sectors. Further, the parallel electrode plates maybe arranged at an angle to the redirection of flow of fluid through thereactor. In certain applications it may be desirable to attach thestatic mixing apparatus to the contaminant separation sectors to enhancethe structural stability of the substantially coplanar array of sectors.

[0097] Electrode plates within reactor unit 200 are arranged in aparallel orientation. However, the spacing between the plates, thesurface area or the materials comprising the electrodes of onecontaminant separation sector may vary from the spacing between theplates, the surface area or the materials comprising the electrodes ofother contaminant separation sectors within the reactor housing. Thevaried spacing, surface area and materials comprising the electrodes ofthe sectors disposed within housing 200 allow the charged electrodes ofeach sector to combine the specific treatment characteristics of eachsector to provide for treatment of a broad range of contaminants from avariety of fluid columns.

[0098] A single power supply drives this arrangement of distinct anddiversified electrodes within the reactor of the instant invention andeliminates the deficiency of prior art devices that require selectivelytrying other reactors having a different plate configurations, opening areactor and rearranging movable electrode plates or employing aplurality of contaminant separation reactors requiring a plurality ofpower supplies in an effort to find electrode configurations that allowprior art devices to effectively treat feedstocks of constantly varyingcomposition.

[0099] By utilizing a single power supply in concert with contaminantseparation sectors having varied plate spacing configurations, surfaceareas and material compositions, the instant invention provides multipletreatment levels for a variety of feedstocks within a single housing.

[0100] Completion fluids, such as brines, bromides and formates,utilized in oil and gas production typically become contaminated withsolids, such as clays, oil, suspended metals and other impurities afteruse in petroleum production. These oilfield treatment fluids aretypically filtered to remove contaminants and allow for the reuse ofthese relatively expensive fluids. However, contaminants that cannot beremoved from such fluid columns by current filtration apparatus remainwithin these completion fluids. The accumulation of these suspended anddissolved pollutants can render a volume of completion fluid unfit forcontinued reused in petroleum production due to fouling by excessivevolumes of these contaminants. The instant invention may be utilized toextend the effective life of completion fluids by extracting dissolvedand suspended oilfield pollutants and allow for continued reuse.

[0101] The method and apparatus disclosed in the instant invention arebest utilized in the treatment of fluid columns having relatively lowconcentration levels of contaminants. Therefore, pretreatment of afeedstock may be desirable to extract any readily recoverablecontaminants from the fluid column. For example, free-floating oil orother petroleum products may be removed from a feed stream through theuse of equipment utilizing gravity, skimming, centrifugal, coalescing orother separation methods. Such equipment may be configured toautomatically discharge accumulated volumes of separated contaminants toa collection vessel for recycling of the concentrated contaminants. Inmany instances it may be desirable to direct a relatively small portionof a treated fluid column discharged from a contaminant separationreactor to a holding reservoir or collection vessel to allow theresidual effects provided by the instant invention to pretreataccumulated volumes of a candidate feedstock. The addition of anelectrochemically treated fluid column to a feed stream awaitingprocessing typically initiates separation of many contaminants withinthe collected fluid column and provides for a more thorough bulkseparation of contaminants. Thus, residual effects provided to a fluidcolumn treated by the instant invention may be used to pretreataccumulated volumes of a feedstock and enhance the effectiveness ofinitial bulk separation devices, thereby improving the efficiency of theelectrodes in the processing of a pretreated fluid column.

[0102] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment has beenfor the purpose of explanation and illustration. It will be appreciatedby those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be madewithout departing from the essence and scope of the present invention.Therefore, it is contemplated that the appended claims will cover anymodifications or embodiments that fall within the scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of removing contaminants from a fluidcolumn, comprising the steps of: providing a housing defining aninterior chamber established by a fluid impervious boundary wall with aninner surface and having inlet and outlet ports; providing a pair ofelectrodes, each electrode comprising a plurality of parallel,spaced-apart plates coupled to a common buss bar and wherein the spacingbetween the plates is non-uniform; placing said pair of electrodeswithin the interior chamber of the housing as opposing electrodes andwith the plates of the electrodes being oriented orthogonal to the inletand outlet ports so that the plates of the electrodes interleave todefine a flow path from the inlet port to the outlet port and form aseries of cavities of non-uniform volume along the flow path;introducing a feed stream of contaminants carried within a fluid columnto the inlet port of said housing to establish a flow of the fluidcolumn carrying the contaminants through the housing along the definedflow path; applying electrical energy to the electrodes to produce anelectric field that causes contaminants carried within a feed stream toseparate from the fluid column; and discharging as a processed feedstream the fluid exiting from the outlet port of the interior chamber ofthe housing.
 2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising thesteps of: replacing the electrodes; and disposing of the solidifiedcontaminants.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electrodescomprise an electrically conductive material.
 4. A method according toclaim 1 wherein the cavities formed between the interleaved parallelplates of the electrodes define distinct contaminant separation units.5. An apparatus for removing contaminants from a fluid column,comprising: a housing defining an interior chamber established by afluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surface and having inletand outlet ports; a pair of electrodes mounted within the interiorchamber of the housing, each electrode comprising a plurality ofparallel, spaced-apart plates coupled to a common buss bar and whereinthe spacing between the plates is non-uniform; said pair of electrodesbeing mounted within the interior chamber of the housing as opposingelectrodes and with the plates of the electrodes being orientedorthogonal to the inlet and outlet ports so that the plates of theelectrodes interleave to define a flow path from the inlet port to theoutlet port and form a series of cavities of non-uniform volume alongthe flow path; and an electric power supply coupled to the electrodes toproduce an electric field acting within the series of cavities toseparate contaminants carried within a feed stream from a fluid columnbeing directed along the flow path.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 whereinthe spacing between the plates is graduated so that the volume of eachcavity along the flow path through the housing progressively increasesfrom the inlet port to the outlet port.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6wherein the fluid flow path extends substantially parallel to thesurface of each electrode plate.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein theelectrodes comprise an electrically conductive material.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein the fluid flow path extends substantiallyorthogonal to the direction of the electrical field that is establishedbetween opposing electrode plates.
 10. The apparatus of claim 6 whereinthe electrical power supply comprises a direct current source havingfirst and second electrical terminal connections, each terminalconnection being coupled to one of the electrodes.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 5 wherein fluid flow along the flow path is directed around theends of the parallel plates as fluid flows from one cavity to anothercavity.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein fluid flow throughsuccessive adjacent cavities goes around the end of a parallel plate ofone electrode and then around the end of a parallel plate of the otherelectrode in a back-and-forth direction across the interior chamber ofthe housing.
 13. A method of removing contaminants from a fluid column,comprising the steps of: providing a housing defining an interiorchamber established by a fluid impervious boundary wall with an innersurface and having inlet and outlet ports; providing a plurality ofcontaminant separation sectors, each contaminant separation sectorcomprising a pair of electrodes, each electrode comprising a pluralityof parallel, spaced-apart plates coupled to a common buss bar andwherein the spacing between the plates is uniform; placing saidplurality of contaminant separation sectors in a substantially coplanararrangement within the interior chamber of the housing such that theelectrodes of the contaminant separation sectors are oriented alongplanes and in distinct layers; introducing a feed stream of contaminantscarried within a fluid column to the inlet port of said housing toestablish a flow of the fluid column carrying the contaminants throughthe housing along the defined flow path; applying electrical energy tothe electrodes of the contaminant separation sectors to produce anelectric field that causes contaminants carried within a feed stream toseparate from the fluid column; and discharging as a processed feedstream the fluid exiting from the outlet port of the interior chamber ofthe housing.
 14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising thesteps of: replacing the electrodes; and disposing of the solidifiedcontaminants.
 15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the electrodescomprise an electrically conductive material.
 16. A method according toclaim 13 wherein the cavities formed between the interleaved parallelplates of the electrodes define distinct contaminant separation units.17. A method according to claim 13 wherein said contaminant separationsectors are arranged within the housing to create a flow paththerethrough.
 18. An apparatus for removing contaminants from a fluidcolumn, comprising: a housing defining an interior chamber establishedby a fluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surface and havinginlet and outlet ports; a first contaminant separation sector and asecond contaminant separation sector mounted within the interior chamberof the housing, each contaminant separation sector comprising a pair ofelectrodes, each electrode comprising a plurality of parallel,spaced-apart plates coupled to a common buss bar and wherein the spacingbetween the plates of each contaminant separation sector is uniform;said first and second contaminant separation sectors being mounted in asubstantially coplanar arrangement within the interior chamber of thehousing such that the electrodes of the contaminant separation sectorsare oriented along planes and in distinct layers, the plates of theelectrodes interleaving and forming a series of cavities along the flowpath from the inlet port to the outlet port of the housing; and anelectric power supply coupled to the electrodes to produce an electricfield acting within the series of cavities to separate contaminantscarried within a feed stream from a fluid column being directed alongthe flow path.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the electrodeplates of the first contaminant separation sector are in closerproximity to one another in their uniform spacing than the electrodeplates of the second contaminant separation sector in their uniformspacing so that the volume of the cavities in the first contaminantseparation sector is greater than the volume of the cavities in thesecond contaminant separation sector along the flow path through thehousing from the inlet port to the outlet port.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 18 wherein the fluid flow path extends substantially parallel tothe surface of each electrode plate.
 21. The apparatus of claim 18wherein the electrodes comprise an electrically conductive material. 22.The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the electrically conductive materialcomprising the electrode plates of the first contaminant separationsector is different from the electrically conductive material comprisingthe electrode plates of the second contaminant separation sector so thatdifferent electrically conductive materials comprise each contaminantseparation sector along the flow path through the housing from the inletport to the outlet port.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein carbonsteel comprises the electrode plates of a first contaminant separationsector.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein aluminum comprises theelectrode plates of a second contaminant separation sector.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 18 wherein the fluid flow path extends substantiallyorthogonal to the direction of the electrical field that is establishedbetween opposing electrode plates.
 26. The apparatus of claim 18 whereinthe electrical power supply comprises a direct current source havingfirst and second electrical terminal connections, each terminalconnection being coupled to the contaminant separation sectors.
 27. Theapparatus of claim 26 wherein the contaminant separation sectors areconnected in series to the electrical power supply.
 28. The apparatus ofclaim 26 wherein the contaminant separation sectors are connected inparallel to the electrical power supply.
 29. The apparatus of claim 18further comprising a static mixing apparatus disposed within the housingin a substantially perpendicular orientation to the direction of flowthrough the housing.
 30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein static mixingapparatus redirects the flow of a fluid from the internal periphery ofthe housing to the electrodes of the contaminant separation sectors. 31.A method of removing contaminants from a fluid column, comprising thesteps of: providing a magnetic field generator defining a length ofconduit having a fluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surfaceand an outer surface and having a fluid entry port and a fluid dischargeport, a segment of said conduit being encircled by an electricalconductor, said electrical conductor having first and second conductorleads, the electrical conductor being coiled around a segment of saidconduit to form a first layer of coiled electrical conducting materialand a second layer of coiled electrical conducting material, said layersof a coiled electrical conducting material being disposed coaxially andspaced apart from one another by a pattern of spacers and forming aplurality of open-air cooling ducts between coaxially disposed andspaced apart layers of electrical conductor; connecting the first andsecond conductor leads of the electrical conductor to an electricalpower supply to produce an electromagnetic field within the innersurface of the fluid impervious boundary wall of the conduit; providinga plurality of electrodes, each electrode comprising a plurality ofparallel, spaced-apart plates coupled to a common buss bar, saidelectrodes paired to form distinct fluid treatment units; providing ahousing defining an interior chamber established by a fluid imperviousboundary wall with an inner surface and having inlet and outlet ports;placing said plurality of electrodes within the interior chamber of thehousing as opposing electrodes, the plates of the electrodes beingoriented along parallel planes so that the plates of the electrodesinterleave to define a flow path from the inlet port to the outlet port;introducing a feed stream of contaminants carried within a fluid columnto the inlet port of the conduit to establish a flow of the fluid columncarrying the contaminants through the conduit; directing the flowentering the inlet port of the conduit to pass through theelectromagnetic field along a path extending through and substantiallyorthogonal to each turn of the electrical conductor forming the firstand second coil layers; discharging the fluid exiting from the outletport of the conduit as a processed feed stream suitable for contaminantseparation; introducing a feed stream of contaminants carried within afluid column to the inlet port of said housing to establish a flow ofthe fluid column carrying the contaminants through the housing along thedefined flow path; applying electrical energy to the electrodes toproduce an electric field that causes contaminants carried within a feedstream pass flow through the cavities along the flow path substantiallyorthogonal to the electrical field established between opposingelectrode plates; and discharging as a processed feed stream the fluidexiting from the outlet port of the interior chamber of the housing. 32.The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:replacing the electrodes; and disposing of the solidified contaminants.33. The method of claim 31 wherein the electrical conductor coil layersinduce a magnetic field to which fluid passing through the conduit isexposed.
 34. The method of claim 31 wherein the supply of electricalpower is of sufficient magnitude to induce a magnetic field to fluidpassing through the conduit.
 35. A method according to claim 31 whereinthe electrodes comprise an electrically conductive material.
 36. Amethod according to claim 31 wherein the cavities formed between theinterleaved parallel plates of the electrodes define distinctcontaminant separation units.